Almonds Boost Your Bones And Cashews Make You Fertile

How to Be a Health Nut ; GoodHealth Or How Almonds Boost Your Bones And Cashews Make You Fertile

Daily Mail

05-09-07

ONCE vilified for their high calorie count, nuts are now seen as a health food staple, sought after for their high nutrient content.

Indeed, sales of nuts in the UK have risen by 41 per cent over the past five years.

All nuts are high in magnesium, potassium, calcium and folic acid, as well as being a good dietary source of antiageing vitamin E.

But now certain nuts, such as walnuts and Brazil nuts, have been found to provide specific health benefits. And last week it was announced that pistachios, for instance, can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.

However, you can have too much of a good thing, as Rebecca Foster, a nutritionist with the British Nutrition Foundation, warns: 'Nuts can provide useful nutrients, but they also provide a high calorie hit.

'So rather than trying to consume as many as possible, it is probably a better idea to think about replacing the empty calories in a packet of crisps or a fizzy drink with a small handful of nuts instead,' she says.

'And don't just fall back on peanuts, go for an unsalted mix perhaps combined with dried fruit, and you'll benefit from the nutritional variations of different types.' So which ones are the healthiest? Here we reveal the nuts that are good for your heart, the nuts that protect against cancer and the high-calorie nuts that should be eaten only in moderation.

Pistachios

CALORIES: 660 cal/100g (165 cal per handful - 25g) BENEFITS: A new study has found that 3oz (75g) of pistachios a day, in conjunction with a healthy diet - can significantly lower your risk of heart disease.

They contain potassium and lutein which help reduce blood pressure. Lutein is an antioxidant, usually found in green leafy vegetables and brightly coloured fruit, which prevents cholesterol from clogging up arteries, and so raising blood pressure.

BENEFITS: Contain selenium, a mineral important for the immune system and for healthy thyroid functioning. May also protect against breast cancer. Three to four nuts a day provides the recommended selenium intake of 60mcg for women (75mcg for men).

Research has shown that people with diets rich in selenium have lower rates of lung, prostate and colon cancer, and it could protect skin from cancerous changes.

DISADVANTAGES: One of the most calorific nuts and high in saturated fat compared with other nuts.

Cashews

CALORIES: 584 cal/100g (146 cal per handful)

BENEFITS: Rich in iron, containing twice the amount of most other nuts. Just 50g (25 cashews) provides 3mg of the 11mg needed each day by women.

Cashews are also rich in zinc, essential for a robust immune system and healthy skin, and vital for fertility in both men and women (25 nuts provide a third of our daily 9mg zinc needs).

They also contain magnesium and copper which help prevent heart disease and promote strong bones. The high magnesium content could also help reduce the risk of colon cancer.

DISADVANTAGES: Too many can be fattening, particularly if eaten as part of a Chinese or Indian takeaway where the cooking oil and sugar content will outweigh any healthy benefit.

Walnuts

CALORIES: 691 cal/100g (173 cal per handful)

BENEFITS: Contain alpha linoleic acid.

This 'good fat' appears to have a blood-thinning and anti- clotting effect.

Spanish researchers found eight walnuts after a fatty meal can reduce the damage to your arteries by as much as 16 per cent.

Walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for healthy brain function and help prevent asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and skin problems, such as eczema and psoriasis.

DISADVANTAGES: Once cooked, walnuts lose their healthy benefit, so eat raw or add at the end of any cooking process. Avoid pickled walnuts if you're prone to candida or bloating.

Peanuts

CALORIES: 589 cal/100g if dry roasted (147 cal per handful) BENEFITS: Contain folate. This B vitamin lowers levels of homocysteine in men; raised levels have been linked to heart disease. Just 50g of nuts provides more than 25 per cent of the daily 200mcg recommended amount.

Peanuts have similar levels of p- coumaric acid - an antioxidant - to strawberries, which protects the body from cancer-causing free radicals.

Roasted peanuts have more p-coumaric acid (it is increased by 22 per cent during the roasting process).

DISADVANTAGES: Peanuts are not in fact nuts, but come from the legume family (with peas, beans and lentils) and are higher in unhealthy saturated fat than nuts (this also makes them prone to going rancid when exposed to air).

They can also trigger a potentially fatal peanut allergy.
Almonds

CALORIES: 611 cal/100g (153 cal per handful)

BENEFITS: Richer in calcium than any other nut, making them great for bone health (50g provides a seventh of a woman's daily calcium needs).

Research has suggested that although the nuts are high in calories, their fibre content helps block the absorption of fat and carbohydrate so they might not be as fattening as other nuts.

DISADVANTAGES: Can be difficult to digest. Try soaking them overnight in water or milk. This activates the enzymes in the nut, making them tastier and easier to digest.
Hazelnuts